Fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students — 2026-27
40 programmes in 15 countries, sorted by what you can apply to today. Closing first: Commonwealth via HEC (20 Oct 2026), the Fulbright Scholar Program (28 Oct) and the HEC US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor PhD (30 Oct). Also open: Dalda Foundation (13 Nov), UBC Canada PhDs with CAD 40,000 a year, Erasmus Mundus and Gates Cambridge. Next up: ETH Zurich, Stipendium Hungaricum and Türkiye Bursları (10 Jan – 20 Feb 2027).
All 40 scholarships — filter by level, country & deadline
Every listing links straight to the awarding body. Dates move — confirm on the official site before you apply.
Open now🇬🇧 UK
Commonwealth Master's & PhD Scholarships 2027-28
UK postgraduate study funded by the FCDO, nominated through HEC. Clear the HAT (usually 60%+) first — no HAT score, no nomination. PhD scholars get about £2,000 a month.
City Institute of Health Sciences, Karachi: Generic BSN (FSc Pre-Medical 50%) and Post-RN BSN via an NTS test. Advertises 100% scholarships for LHV, midwifery, CNA and nurse-aid diplomas — confirm criteria with CIHS.
HEC-funded PhD at QS top-100 US universities. Needs GRE 300+ or HAT 60%+, 16 years of education with no third division, age up to 35 (40 for government employees), and US admission. Return-and-serve bond.
Level
PhD
Funding
Fully Funded (top 50) · $19,000/yr stipend
Deadline
30 Oct 2026 (Spring/Summer 2027) · 30 Mar 2027 (Fall)13 days left
For Intermediate Part-I students (80% science / 70% other streams) and vocational trainees (50% Matric) from families earning up to Rs 70,000 a month. Online only; written assessment and verification follow.
KP Education Employees Foundation Merit Scholarships 2026-27
For children of KP education department employees registered with the EEF, studying at SSC, HSSC or bachelor's level. Merit-based on the last exam; form from EEF or district education offices.
University of British Columbia guarantees full-time PhD students at least CAD 40,000 a year, international students included. Many funded MSc/MASc options too. Contact a supervisor first; deadlines vary by programme.
Level
PhD, Masters
Funding
CAD 40,000/yr minimum (PhD)
Deadline
1 Dec 2026 – 1 Feb 2027 (by programme)107 days left
Research and doctoral awards at Swiss universities. HEC and the Swiss country list have published different dates before — treat the earlier one as real.
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (replaces Vanier)
Vanier has been folded into the new CGRS Doctoral award. You cannot apply directly — a Canadian university must nominate you, so contact the graduate office first.
Level
PhD
Funding
CAD 40,000/yr × 3
Deadline
University nomination — internal dates Sep–Nov 2026
Tuition, housing and monthly stipend. The university route and the HEC/embassy route are separate — a pre-admission letter from a professor helps most.
Hungarian government award with a country quota for Pakistan. Apply on BOTH the Stipendium Hungaricum portal and the HEC portal — missing either disqualifies you. Tuition, stipend, housing contribution and medical cover.
Pakistan's largest Fulbright degree programme, run by USEFP. 16 years of education and a GRE are required; KP, Balochistan, AJK and GB applicants are encouraged.
Japanese government award covering tuition, a monthly allowance and airfare. Embassy recommendation in Islamabad: written test, interview, then placement.
Most HEC foreign schemes gate on the Higher Education Aptitude Test, commonly 60%. HEC schemes carry a service/return obligation — read the bond terms.
🇵🇰 KP Education Employees Foundation merit scholarships
Open
10 Jan – 20 Feb 2027
🇹🇷 Türkiye Bursları 2027
Soon
Jan – Mar 2027
🇨🇳 Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)
Soon
Feb – Mar 2027
🇰🇷 Global Korea Scholarship — graduate track
Soon
Feb – Apr 2027
🇦🇺 Australia Awards (2028 intake)
Soon
Spring 2027
🇺🇸 Fulbright Foreign Student Program — Masters & PhD
Soon
Apr – Jun 2027
🇯🇵 MEXT 2028 — Embassy track
Soon
Aug – Oct 2027
🇩🇪 DAAD EPOS courses (course-specific)
Next cycle
~Aug 2027
🇬🇧 Chevening 2028-29 opens
Next cycle
Deadlines checked against official sources on 17 October 2026. Universities and consortia can change dates without notice; the awarding body's site is always final.
Quick guides
How to apply — the major scholarships in one minute each
Commonwealth Scholarships (UK) — via HEC
Commonwealth Master's and PhD Scholarships fund full UK study for Pakistani candidates nominated by HEC. The HEC nomination deadline for 2027-28 is 20 October 2026.
Who: Pakistani citizens with a first degree (Masters) or Masters (PhD)
Gate: HAT test, usually 60% or more
Covers: tuition, airfare, monthly stipend
Tip: write the development-impact statement first
Chevening (UK) — next round August 2027
Chevening is the UK government's one-year Masters award for future leaders. The 2027-28 round closed on 6 October 2026; the next round is expected to open around August 2027.
Who: bachelor's degree plus 2 years (2,800 hours) of work
Apply: three UK course choices and four essays
Timeline: interviews Mar–Apr, results June
Obligation: return home for two years after
Fulbright (USA) — USEFP
Fulbright in Pakistan is run by USEFP. The Fulbright Scholar Program for PhD holders closes on 28 October 2026; the Masters and PhD degree programme opens its next round in spring 2027.
Degree programme: 16 years of education + GRE
Scholar program: PhD holders and faculty
Regions encouraged: KP, Balochistan, AJK, GB
Visa: J-1 with two-year home residency
DAAD (Germany)
DAAD's Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) are Germany's main fully funded Masters route for Pakistanis. Deadlines are course-specific, mostly August to October each year.
CGPA about 3.0 / 70% aggregate
About two years of relevant work
Covers: stipend, insurance, travel
Tip: contact the course coordinator early
Erasmus Mundus (Europe)
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters let you study in two or more European countries on one fully funded degree. Each consortium runs its own October-to-January deadline.
Apply to up to three programmes
Covers: fees, travel, ~€1,400 a month
English: IELTS or medium-of-instruction letter
Tip: read each consortium's own checklist
Türkiye Bursları (Turkey)
Türkiye Bursları funds undergraduate, Masters and PhD study in Turkey. The 2027 window is expected from 10 January to 20 February 2027.
Age limits: under 21 UG, 30 Masters, 35 PhD
Covers: stipend, hostel, insurance, airfare
Includes one year of Turkish language
Apply online; interview follows
Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)
CSC funds full degrees at Chinese universities. Applications run January to March 2027 through either the university route or the HEC/embassy route.
Get a pre-admission letter from a professor
Covers: tuition, housing, monthly stipend
English-taught programmes widely available
Apply to one route per university
Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)
GKS funds full degrees in Korea plus a one-year Korean language programme. The graduate round opens around February 2027; the undergraduate round runs September–October.
Embassy or university track — choose one
CGPA 80% or 2.64/4.0 minimum
Age under 40 for graduate track
TOPIK score adds points
MEXT (Japan)
MEXT is Japan's government scholarship. The Embassy of Japan in Islamabad runs the 2028 embassy-track selection from about April to June 2027: document screening, written test, interview, then university placement.
Research, undergraduate and specialised-training tracks
Covers: tuition, monthly allowance, airfare
Written tests in English and maths
Contact a Japanese professor early
Scholarships inside Pakistan
National awards are need-and-merit based and usually run through your own university or provincial endowment fund rather than a central portal.
Which fully funded scholarships are open for Pakistani students in October 2026?
Open right now: Commonwealth Master's and PhD Scholarships (HEC nomination closes 20 October 2026), the Fulbright Scholar Program for PhD holders (28 October 2026), the HEC US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor PhD for Spring/Summer 2027 (30 October 2026), the Dalda Foundation Scholarship (13 November 2026), UBC Canada PhDs with at least CAD 40,000 a year (deadlines from 1 December), Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (October 2026 to January 2027, per programme), Gates Cambridge (8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, by course) and Canada's CGRS Doctoral award through university nomination. ETH Zurich ESOP opens on 1 November and Stipendium Hungaricum opens in November.
Is the Chevening scholarship 2027-28 still open?
No. Chevening 2027-28 applications closed on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC (4:00 pm in Pakistan). Shortlisted candidates are interviewed in March and April 2027 and results follow in June 2027. The 2028-29 round is expected to open around August 2027.
What replaced the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship?
Vanier has been merged into the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D), worth CAD 40,000 a year for three years. You cannot apply directly; a Canadian university must nominate you, so contact its graduate studies office first.
When does Türkiye Bursları 2027 open for Pakistani students?
Türkiye Bursları 2027 applications are expected to run from 10 January to 20 February 2027 on the official turkiyeburslari.gov.tr portal. It covers undergraduate, Masters and PhD study with a stipend, free hostel, health insurance and a Turkish language year.
Do I need IELTS for scholarships abroad?
Most UK, Australian and many European awards ultimately require you to meet your university's English requirement, usually IELTS 6.5. Some programmes — including many Chinese universities under CSC, many Türkiye Bursları programmes and some Erasmus Mundus consortia — accept an English-medium instruction certificate instead. Always check the specific programme.
What GPA do I need for a DAAD scholarship?
Most DAAD postgraduate (EPOS) courses expect a CGPA of about 3.0 out of 4.0 or 70% aggregate, plus roughly two years of relevant work experience after your degree. Each course sets its own deadline, mostly between August and October.
Is Fulbright open to students from KP, Balochistan, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan?
Yes. USEFP, which runs Fulbright in Pakistan, actively encourages applicants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and the merged districts. The Masters and PhD degree programme needs 16 years of education and a GRE score.
Which scholarships require a bond or return to Pakistan?
HEC overseas schemes carry a service or return obligation. Foreign government awards usually have no financial bond, but some expect you to return home: Chevening asks you to return for at least two years, and Fulbright's J-1 visa carries a two-year home-residency requirement.
What documents do I need for an international scholarship?
Attested transcripts and degrees, a valid passport, an English test score or medium-of-instruction letter, a CV, a statement of purpose or study plan, two or three recommendation letters and, for research degrees, a research proposal or supervisor acceptance.
Does Tayarri charge a fee or apply on my behalf?
No. Tayarri's scholarship hub is free with no login. Every listing links to the awarding body's official site, and you apply there directly. Never pay an agent to submit a government scholarship application.
10 habits of winning applicants
Book IELTS at least four months before your first deadline; most programmes want 6.5.
Write a new statement of purpose for each scholarship — committees spot recycled essays.
Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) with real numbers in leadership essays.
Ask referees six weeks ahead and send them the scholarship's selection criteria.
Name specific professors, labs or modules at your target university.
For research degrees, secure supervisor interest before you apply.
Apply to three to five programmes; deadlines are spread across the year.
End with a concrete plan for your impact back in Pakistan.
Get every transcript attested by HEC early — it is the slowest step.
Track documents with the checklist above and download the PDF.
About this page
How Tayarri keeps this list accurate
Tayarri.com is a free study platform for students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and Islamabad. This page was last reviewed on 17 October 2026 against each awarding body's own website, HEC notices and USEFP announcements. We list only fully funded or substantially funded awards, mark each one as open, opening soon, rolling or next cycle, and link to the official source rather than to agents.
For undergraduates, the strongest routes are Türkiye Bursları, CSC China, GKS Korea, MEXT Japan and Stipendium Hungaricum. For Masters, look at Commonwealth, Chevening, Erasmus Mundus, DAAD EPOS and Fulbright. For PhD, Gates Cambridge, Canada's CGRS Doctoral award, Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships and HEC overseas schemes lead the field.